COM1 directories???

[Mixxen]

First, I know that windows has some reserved words that we cannot use to name files and directories (COM1, LPT, COM2, NUL, etc.)

The computer at my work is running winNT, and I named a folder "COM1 ." But in explorer it is displayed up as "Com1".

Now I can't delete it, rename it, etc.... I get an Error message stating...

<<Make sure the disk in not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.>>

Any idea how to delete this directory. BTW, I can't even open it (if I try it then nothing will happen). Weird 😕

 

[sohcrates]

can you right click on it and go to properties and see if it's read-only?

how about deleting it in dos?

 

[Mixxen]

Nothing happens when I right try to view properties.

Also can't delete it from the cmd prompt...
----------------------------------------------
J:\>del com1
The system cannot find the path specified.
----------------------------------------------

Okay this is even more weird..I tried creating a dir inside of com1...
----------------------------------------------------
J:\>mkdir com1\hello

J:\>cd com1\hello

J:\com1\hello>dir
Volume in drive J has no label.
Volume Serial Number is

Directory of J:\com1\hello

07/06/01 01:25p <DIR> .
07/06/01 01:25p <DIR> ..
2 File(s) 0 bytes
44,924,649,472 bytes free
----------------------------------------------------

Is that weird or what!!

 

[Mixxen]

Lol, what the heck is this...

J:\com1\hello>cd ..
The directory name is invalid.

 

[sohcrates]

hmm...have you rebooted yet? sometimes that works miracles

EDIT: how about booting off a 98 boot disk and deleting it from there?

 

[Mixxen]

I would do that, but the file system is NTFS 🙁

 

[sohcrates]

well, you can still do the reboot part. 🙂

umm..let's see. how about nt boot disk? is it win2k or nt4?

 

[Mixxen]

yup, rebooted, but I don't have any 2k or NT boot disks available.

I will try to replicate this on my computer at home which is running win2k FAT32.

Maybe this is an NTFS bug?

 

[Mixxen]

Also note that I named the folder

COM1<1 space><dot>

But shows up as

Com1